Three letters and one note dealing with the publication of De Quille's book The Big Bonanza and some stock investments, with side-long mentions of Tom Sawyer and Innocents Abroad.

Letter signed ("Mark"), 3 pages with autograph postscript, Hartford, 5 January 1876, replies that he doesn't know if Elisha Bliss has put The Big Bonanza into production, thinks Joe Goodman (publisher of the Virginia City Territorial Enterprise) is making a mistake by starting an evening paper; light soiling on fold creases. — Autograph letter signed ("Mark"), 3 pages, Hartford, 28 January [1876], confides to De Quille that Bliss never gets a book out by deadline, that he suffered anxiety when publication of Innocents Abroad was extensively delayed, and that Truman Williams has finished his illustrations for TheAdventures of Tom Sawyer. — Autograph letter signed ("Mark"), 3 pages, Hartford, 8 February 1876, sending $1500 to invest in stock; discoloration at folds, a few short fold splits. — Autograph note on a monogrammed card signed ("Mark"), Hartford, 29 November [?1876], instructing Dan to sell that "confounded stock"; soiled.

Catalogue Note

Writer's anxiety. De Quille implored Clemens to urge Elisha Bliss to speed up publication of his book, The Big Bonanza. Clemens confesses that when Innocents Abroad was thirteen months past the publication date stipulated in the contract, he wished he had never written a book. He confides that Bliss is chronically late in getting any book out on time. He also informs De Quille that True Williams has completed all the illustrations for The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and is presently working on those for De Quille's book. As De Quille waited for his book to be published, Clemens pestered him for investment tips in the mining industry. The letters of 8 February and 29 November deal with Clemens's buying and selling of mining stock. After telling De Quille to purchase $1500 worth of stock in the 8 February letter, he instructs him in the 29 November note to "sell that confounded stock ... I never did meddle with stocks without botching it." Annoyed that De Quille hasn't answered his last ten letters, Clemens snaps: "You only write when you want me to run to your darned publisher, Dan. However, he withdraws the tongue-lashing as he reflects: "that is human nature—nobody writes to anybody except to ask a favor—as I'm doing now."

Condition Report

480

Clemens, Samuel L.

Three letters and one note dealing with the publication of De Quille's book The Big Bonanza and some stock investments, with side-long mentions of Tom Sawyer and Innocents Abroad.

Letter signed ("Mark"), 3 pages with autograph postscript, Hartford, 5 January 1876, replies that he doesn't know if Elisha Bliss has put The Big Bonanza into production, thinks Joe Goodman (publisher of the Virginia City Territorial Enterprise) is making a mistake by starting an evening paper; light soiling on fold creases. — Autograph letter signed ("Mark"), 3 pages, Hartford, 28 January [1876], confides to De Quille that Bliss never gets a book out by deadline, that he suffered anxiety when publication of Innocents Abroad was extensively delayed, and that Truman Williams has finished his illustrations for TheAdventures of Tom Sawyer. — Autograph letter signed ("Mark"), 3 pages, Hartford, 8 February 1876, sending $1500 to invest in stock; discoloration at folds, a few short fold splits. — Autograph note on a monogrammed card signed ("Mark"), Hartford, 29 November [?1876], instructing Dan to sell that "confounded stock"; soiled.